


In Reverence

by cloudwatch



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: M/M, spoilers for the ending of the game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2015-02-18
Packaged: 2018-03-13 13:32:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3383387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloudwatch/pseuds/cloudwatch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sorey wakes up and remembers Mikleo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Reverence

**Author's Note:**

> based off of this post, but with my own spin: http://luzloshiv-lelei.tumblr.com/post/111256319155/the-one-thing-ive-been-wanting-to-talk-about-but 
> 
> i'd like to believe that eventually sorey would either remember everything about mikleo, or at least his favorite memories of him. these two have ruined me.

The first thing he registers is the sunlight on his face.

He opens his eyes, and then immediately closes them when the light hits his eyes. Raising his hand up in front of his eyes, he blinks them open again. Pleased that the light is no longer blinding him, he takes a second, gathering his thoughts while listening to the wind gently blow around him. For a while, he does nothing but lay there, his hand falling down so his arm is resting over his eyes; eventually, he sits up slowly, moving his hand up to wipe the sleep from his eyes. It feels like I've been asleep for a long time, he thinks as he moves to stand up, his legs stiff and his back popping once he straightens up fully.

Good morning, Sorey, he thinks to himself.

His thoughts are fuzzy, and he's having a hard time remembering anything. How did I get here? Is here where I'm supposed to be? Somewhere deep inside, he knows that no, here is not where he's supposed to be. He's supposed to be...

He frowns, and then – _oh, that's right!_

He's (or he was) the Shepherd, and he'd finally completed his journey – he'd finally finished removing the taint from the world. He stretches his arms, feeling pleased, smiles and takes one step forward – and then it hits him. It's a warm feeling, crawling up his body, filling his fingers and toes and rushing over him until it settles right over his heart. Sorey reaches up and places a hand over his heart, his eyes falling shut, breathing deeply as something flickers in the back of his mind.

_“What about our dream? Weren't we going to explore all the ruins in the world?”_

_“As long as I don't forget, that dream will live on.”_

Sorey inhales sharply and his eyes snap open. For a minute he forgets to breathe, and then -

“Oh god, Mikleo...”

**

 

At first, Mikleo is just a smile and the warmest, happiest feeling Sorey has ever known. When he thinks of Mikleo, he can't see a face, but he knows, deep within his heart, and with everything that he is that he loves Mikleo. There's no doubt about it. Mikleo is why the place he woke up didn't feel like the place he needed to be, and Mikleo is the reason why he's wandering, trying to find some clue to where Mikleo would be.

_Mikleo, Mikleo, Mikleo_ , he thinks, closing his eyes and focusing on the warmth that even just thinking his name brings. He's in a town, sitting on a bench next to a fountain, watching some children run around, laughing and poking each other. Sorey leans back, resting his back against the ledge of the fountain, eyes closed, a smile on his face.

_“Don't you look peaceful,”_ he hears in his head. Sorey relaxes a little more, his grin growing as the warmth that is Mikleo grows.

_“Very peaceful,”_ his own voice replies. _“This is the first time the sun has been out in the last few days, what with all of the rain we've been having. I've missed just sitting here and feeling it.”_

_“And yet, you always get so defensive when I tell you that you like to sunbathe.” Mikleo says, sitting down next to him. Sorey can't see his face because of the sunlight, but there's a smile – and it's absolutely stunning._

_“It's not sun bathing, it's sun absorbing and sun appreciating.”_

_There's a shrug from Mikleo. “Well, whatever you want to call it, you still need to come in and eat. You've been reading all of those books since it's been raining, and I bet you haven't had one single thing to eat since the I left last night.”_

_A growl is heard coming from Sorey's stomach and while Sorey blushes, Mikleo laughs and stands up. Sorey thinks his laugh, just like everything else about him, is beautiful._

_“I'm going to take that as confirmation,” Mikleo says, holding out a hand for Sorey to take. “Come on, I made us some sandwiches and something else too.”_

_Sorey takes his hand and allows Mikleo to pull him up. “Is this something else my favorite treat of yours?”_

_Mikleo shrugs and heads towards Sorey's house. “I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?”_

The sound of shrieking pulls Sorey from his own mind just in time for him to see a ball flying straight towards his face. He jumps up from his spot, catches the ball, and then tosses it back towards the little kids. The kids running towards him turn around and chase after the ball in the direction that Sorey tossed it. He grins at their retreating forms, and then sighs, looking around the town. This place definitely isn't where Mikleo is now, but it's a place they've been before – he can feel it. “Oh well, time to move on,” he says. As he leaves the town he thinks back to the food Mikleo in his memory had mentioned, and he wonders why he hasn't felt hungry in the two days since he's been awake.

**

One day later and Sorey is washing himself in a pond, the Mikleo voice in his head telling him that he better remember to scrub underneath his arms, because he always forgets to wash that spot. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he says out loud, and does what the voice says, because he remembers that when it comes to things like this Mikleo is always right.

Mikleo is more than just a smile now – Sorey remembers his body; how Mikleo is shorter than him, and how flustered Mikleo gets when Sorey teases him about how he's probably not going to ever grow taller than Sorey. He remembers how it felt to hold Mikleo at night, to feel him in his arms and know that Mikleo will be there when he wakes up in the morning. Sorey remembers how it felt to get a hug from Mikleo, to feel Mikleo press against him, and to feel him squirm when Sorey would take advantage of having him so close to begin a tickle fight.

Sorey remembers Mikleo's hair, and how Mikleo would fall asleep whenever Sorey would play with his hair. Mikleo's hair is soft and thick, and Sorey would braid tiny braids in his hair and then hide behind his pillow when Mikleo woke up with his hair all messed up and try to tackle Sorey to the ground to tickle him in revenge. He remembers wanting to cut Mikleo's hair like Mikleo does his, but after having cut Mikleo's hair too short Mikleo refused to allow Sorey to do it anymore.

Sorey has remembered other things other than Mikleo, too. He still is missing much of his memory (and isn't even sure he'll get all of his memories back), but he remembers Lailah, Edna, Zaveid, Rose, Alisha, and Dezel in small doses. He doesn't remember the things he's done with them, but he knows that they're important as well. He wonders how they're doing, if they're still alive, and decides that he'll seek them out – after he finds Mikleo.

I have to keep my promise, he thinks. He knows he's never broken a promise to Mikleo before, and he's not about to start now.

**

The town named Lady Lake – it feels like Sorey should remember why that name is familiar but he can't seem to grasp why. As he moves through the town, he sees humans and seraphs interacting with each other, talking to each other, and he remembers his and Mikleo's dream. “It actually came true...” he whispers as he watches a human thank a water seraph for filling up his bucket. He feels a little weak in his knees and so he sits down on the nearest bench.

He listens to the town move around him, the people chattering with one another and the sounds of animals playing. A dog barking draws his attention; a little boy is running away from the dog, laughing as he does so, and Sorey smiles.

“That's right, Mikleo is afraid of dogs.”

Sorey remembers that Mikleo also isn't fond of scary places, or various cheeses. Sorey remembers that Mikleo is smaller than him, and how Mikleo would douse him in water whenever Sorey would tease him about being taller. Mikleo had been taller than him when they'd been small, but Sorey's growth spurt had been much larger than Mikleo's and he'd only stopped teasing his best friend when Mikleo threatened to stop making Sorey's favorite food. Thinking of his favorite food makes him curious as to why he still hasn't felt hungry since he woke up.

_“I still don't know why you like this so much,” Mikleo says, watching as Sorey stuffs the rest of his treat into his mouth._

_“Issgud,” Sorey states, swallowing the last bite he has. After wiping his mouth, he looks pointedly at Mikleo's plate. Mikleo sighs and pushes his plate towards Sorey, but as Sorey starts eating he sees a small smile on his best friend's face._

_After swallowing, Sorey asks, “Aren't you hungry?”_

_Mikleo shakes his head. “Remember? Because I'm a seraph I don't get hungry.”_

_Sorey nods, taking another bite. “I guess I just can't imagine what it would be like to never be hungry, but I guess that's just because I'm human.”_

_“Probably,” Mikleo picks up Sorey's empty plate and fork. “Just like how I can't imagine what it's like to feel hunger.”_

“Sometimes, after completing their journey, a Shepherd becomes a serpah,” Sorey says out loud. He wonders if this is what happened to him. It would explain a few things, but other than being curious as to how it happened, all he can feel is relief. Now he and Mikleo will be able to be together longer. After a moment, he stands back up and heads towards the town entrance. Mikleo isn't here, but Sorey knows that he's getting close.

**

Five days after Sorey woke up, he finds himself near some ruins. His heart is beating faster than normal, and as he gets closer to the ruins he knows – just knows – that Mikleo is there. He starts running, and as he does, he sees someone with white hair entering the ruins. He almost stops running, but he doesn't think he can wait anymore. He's only been awake five days, and he's been almost too impatient to reunite with Mikleo. He doesn't know how long he's been asleep, but he's made Mikleo wait long enough.

He follows Mikleo's shadow further into the ruins, and calling out to Mikleo doesn't even register to him. He turns one last corner – and stops.

_Mikleo..._

All Sorey can see is his back, and his hair, and he needs to remind himself to breathe again. He takes a step forward, and as he does the floor underneath Mikleo's feet collapses. It all seems to happen in slow motion, and Sorey has the feeling that this has happened before; he rushes forward and manages to grab Mikleo's wrist just in time. He hears an intake of breath, and as Mikleo lifts his head to look up at him, the warm feeling in Sorey spreads throughout his entire body, almost taking him over completely.

Mikleo's eyes widen, and then he smiles and god he's the most beautiful thing Sorey has ever seen in his entire life.

Mikleo reaches up and grabs Sorey's hand, and together the maneuver him out of the hole. Once he's on secure ground, though, all of the words Sorey had in his head, all of the words that he had planned to say vanish and all he can do is stare. Mikleo is still smiling at him, but after a moment, his lips begin to quiver and his eyes start to water. Sorey reaches for him and then Mikleo is throwing his arms around Sorey's shoulder, pressing his face against his neck and whispering, “You're here, you're actually _here_.”

Sorey wraps his arms around Mikleo's waist and presses a kiss to his head. “I'm home.”

They stay there for a while, both of them crying and refusing to let go of one another; Sorey presses kisses to Mikleo's head every once in a while, and then shifts his and Mikleo's legs so that Mikleo is sitting in his lap. Mikleo is the one to pull away first a few minutes later, standing up and then pulling Sorey to his feet as well. He sniffs once before giving Sorey a blinding smile. “Welcome home, Sorey.”

_I love you,_ Sorey thinks as he leans over and presses a kiss to Mikleo's lips. His best friend kisses back almost instantly, and Sorey keeps their mouths together for a moment longer before pulling away and pressing a kiss to Mikleo's cheek and then neck. When he pulls away he tangles his fingers in Mikleo's hair. Mikleo isn't as short as Sorey recalls, but he's still not as tall as Sorey, and Sorey grins. “Looks like your hair grew the most, Mikleo.”

Mikleo glares at him. “Hey! I've grown almost three inches – one inch each century, so I think - ”

Sorey cuts him off quickly. “I've been gone for three hundred years?”

Mikleo's smile slips off his face and he looks down at the ground. “Three hundred years, two hundred and fifty seven days... I kept count.”

Sorey presses another kiss to his mouth. He doesn't like seeing Mikleo upset. “I'm sorry I was gone for so long.”

Mikleo shakes his head. “To be honest, I was expecting you to be gone for a lot longer, so I'm not going to complain at all. Although,” he says, folding his arms and sticking out his lower lip. “I'm still expecting you to make it up to me, being gone for that long.”

Sorey twists a strand of Mikleo's hair around his finger. “That I can do,” he says happily, lacing their fingers together with his other hand.

Mikleo reaches up to grab the hand that's playing with his hair. “Well, for starters, my hair needs a trim...”

Sorey catches the hint a few seconds later. “You'll really let me cut your hair? But I thought that...”

Mikleo turns his head to the side and turns his nose up a little, but Sorey can see a grin beginning to grow on his lips. “Maybe you won't suck as much as you did then, and besides, my hair is now long enough that even if you mess up, I can fix it this time.”

Sorey's smile is starting to hurt his face a little, but he can't help it; he grabs Mikleo's waist and lifts him up (and Mikleo is still as light as he used to be), spinning them around twice before putting Mikleo back down on the ground. “I won't mess up, I promise.”

Mikleo elbows him in the side, so Sorey pokes him the stomach in retaliation. He knows what to do next when Mikleo pokes him as well, and a few seconds later they're laughing like they're kids again; Mikleo still remembers where all of Sorey's weak spots are, and Sorey seems to know by instinct where Mikleo's most ticklish spots are.

“Okay, okay, okay,” Mikleo laughs out, hand shooting out to pinch Sorey's nose. Sorey puffs up his cheeks and Mikleo begins laughing again. “We should probably stop and start heading back. I want to show you the collection of books I started for you. I also need to let Lailah, Edna, and Zaveid know that you're awake. They're going to want to meet with you as soon as they can.”

They leave the ruins together, Mikleo telling Sorey about the things that he's missed, the Shepherds who have come since him, and the journeys Mikleo has gone on. “I took careful notes,” Mikleo nudges him in the side. “so that way when you read them it'll be like you were there too.”

“I love you,” Sorey says, and it causes Mikleo to pause for a split second.

Mikleo's entire being seems to smile when he responds. “I love you too, Sorey.”

Sorey takes his hand and presses a kiss to the palm. “Tell me about this book collection.”

Mikleo lets out an excited gasp. “Okay, so! I've been gathering a whole bunch of books that you'd love. First, though, I have this one book put aside that I just knew you'd want to read first – Lailah found this book for me, and we think that what's in it is some of the first ever recordings of when humans and seraphs first came to be and Sorey; I've been waiting to read it because I wanted to read it with you, so I think that after I cook us some dinner tonight and send out notes to everyone letting them know you're home we should read it first.”

Sorey's heart is beating so fast he's not sure if it's healthy. “Sounds like a plan. Can you make us that pasta dish you made us just before our final battle? It was like heaven.”

Mikleo purses his lips. “I think I have all of the ingredients to make that... Yes, I can, and – oh! Lailah taught me how to make this cake that you're going to _love_ and - ”

Mikleo continues to talk, and Sorey listens, his soul soaring; he breathes in all that Mikleo is and feels lighter than air.


End file.
